Houses of the future in an 8th Grade math class, an adaptation and survival design challenge in 4th Grade STEAM, and a "Trash City" made by students in PreSchool through Grade 5. Students are engaging in design challenges all over campus - and even off campus during their own free time.
In a recent Little Hoot, we published a blog by Head of School Laurie Bottiger about how design can be used to solve real world problems: What Do Stanford’s Design School and The Country School Have in Common? Through these design challenges, students also learn important lessons about collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking - some of the 21st century skills experts say they will need in the future.
Recent Design Activities on Campus
Houses of the Future. Eighth Graders in Louise Jackson’s integrated Algebra/Geometry class are designing a house for the year 2075, taking into account population growth, urbanization, future design trends, and energy efficiency. As they embarked on their project, they had a visit from Everett Barber, a renewable energy expert, writer, and former lecturer at Yale Architecture School, who talked them through the calculations and quantifications designers, architects, and engineers must make when engaging in responsive design.During his long career in renewable energy, Mr. Barber has overseen the design and installation of more than 1,000 solar energy systems. At The Country School, he has another claim to fame: he is married to Sarah Barber, Middle School history teacher. Mrs. Jackson said Mr. Barber has agreed to return to her math class to serve as an evaluator for the TED-style talks students will deliver at the conclusion of their projects. Stay tuned.
Recycling. As they have for many years, 4th Graders oversee the school’s recycling program, and so this year they decided to turn their focus on recycling into a design challenge and awareness campaign for their peers in PreSchool through Grade 5.
Each grade was asked to design and construct a building out of all recycled projects. Students were encouraged to look at real buildings across the globe for inspiration. The result – Trash City – is now on display in the lobby of Clark House, the Early Childhood building. Stop by to visit.
Kindergartners decided to model their construction after the Petronas Towers in Malaysia. To construct their design, they saved all of the scraps from recent snowflake-making and Eric Carle projects. They then used the scraps to embellish the towers.
Adaptation and Survival. Meanwhile 4th Graders had their own design challenge issued to them by STEAM teachers Stephanie Smelser and Stephanie Johnson. Here was the challenge:
Adaptation and Survival Design Challenge
As 4th Graders, you take on the recycling duties around the TCS campus. You are all too aware that we humans produce too much garbage and that it is important to continue to raise awareness and educate others about the importance of recycling.
In this design challenge, you will think about what you saw and learned on our field trip to the CRRA recycling facility in Hartford as well as discuss and research what others are doing to help with the garbage problem. You will see images of works of art created by artists made entirely of recycled materials. In addition, you will design and build a “creature” using recycled materials that has adaptations and abilities to help it survive under and then escape from a garbage dump.
The process and requirements are as follows:
1. Draw thumbnail sketches and blueprints of your creature
2. Label the adaptations and functions of your creature’s parts
3. List materials you will use
4. Construct your creature referring back frequently to your plans
5. Using Google Docs, complete the reflection paper and artist statement
6. Write a poem from the perspective of your creature
7. Proudly display your work for others and remind them of their responsibility to REDUCE, RE-USE and RECYCLE!
STEAM Elements of Project
S: environmental challenges, adaptations, needs of organisms
T: recycling tools and machines, TED talks, Google images
E: blueprints, properties of materials, elements of construction
A: sculpture, material choice, themed art, proportion, writing/reflecting
M: scale, measurement, shapes
More 4th Grade creatures are on display in around the Clark House STEAM Lab – feel free to stop by and visit some of these creatures. Perhaps you heard some of the creature-inspired poems during last week’s 4th Grade Poetry Café?
How Students are Applying These Lessons Off Campus
During yesterday's snow day, a Country School 1st Grader shared what she's been learning in school about weather and polar regions. She told her siblings and parents about igloos, and they worked together to create this amazing structure.
One of the theories behind STEAM is that cross-curricular activities in science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math are not just great ways to foster the development of 21st century skills, but they are engaging and fun. The smiling faces below would surely attest to that notion.
We also read on the Kindergarten blog about two students who were inspired to use their snow days to engage in some school-inspired creativity in the kitchen. Read the Kindergarten blog to learn about snow muffins (and even discover a recipe or two).
Learn more at www.thecountryschool.org
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